Once, Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”) and Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”) were centerpieces of broadcast television programming. Now you’ll find them starring in TNT’s new drama “Trust Me” as creative partners trying to survive at a dog-eat-dog Chicago advertising agency. The series premieres at 8 p.m. Monday.
McCormack and Cavanagh, both 45 and Canadian-born, didn’t know each other prior to “Trust Me,” but they say everything has worked out.
In separate telephone interviews, the pair talked about television, advertising and why “Trust Me” shouldn’t be compared with “Mad Men.”
Q: Why this part?
McCormack: I missed television. I missed playing a character week after week. We weren’t looking at sitcoms, we were focusing on dramas, and this one came through and the combination was just right. I loved the writing, I loved the setting. I didn’t want to be a cop or a lawyer or a doctor.
Cavanagh: They backed up the money truck, and I couldn’t say no. I’m not made of stone. (Laughs.) No, I was interested in doing something a little different than the nice-guy role, and this guy seems like he’s not the nice guy. I also like the world they’re living in.
Q: Having been involved with the show for a while, can you imagine working in advertising?
McCormack: This is an interesting time to do an advertising show because, like so many things, advertising is in trouble. The Internet and TiVo are destroying the old ways, and Tom and I are playing guys who are in our early 40s. We’ve learned from the masters.
Cavanagh: If you’re an actor or if you’re an ad guy, you’re still at the mercy of public opinion. If your Super Bowl ad tanks, you’re going to be mocked by the public. If your Super Bowl ad is awesome, you’re walking away like a king.
Q: Because “Trust Me” is about advertising, there will be the inevitable comparisons with AMC’s “Mad Men.”
McCormack: They’re two very different shows. “Mad Men” is a great show. It takes place in another period. It’s an ensemble drama. This is essentially — although we have a great ensemble — it’s about two guys and it’s a very funny and light look at modern-day advertising.
Cavanagh: What’s “Mad Men”? (Laughs.) They’re different shows. If you’ve seen the “Mad Men” pilot and our pilot, you would not say, “They’re the exact same show.” It’s like your modern-day Christmas movie versus “It’s a Wonderful Life.” They’re very different things.
